What prompted you to attend this Symposium?
I was interested in finding out what was going on in other foundations. We became involved in the humanitarian sphere around twenty years ago in Armenia, but it was only recently that we formally organised our activities into a foundation.  This is the first time that I have attended a meeting devoted to foundations. I have learnt a lot during the day, I’ve met a lot of different foundations and shared experiences.

Was there any particular talk that stands out for you?
Guy Wagner, Luxembourg’s Chief Economist, speaking about the history of economic crises, explaining the rise and fall of interest rates, inflation, budget deficits, etc. It is interesting to note how economic cycles repeat themselves and having this perspective of the past helps us to avoid making the same mistakes.

And on that subject, how has the crisis affected your foundation?
Everyone has been affected – including ourselves! Luckily, we invest in diamonds and jewellery. We also have a real-estate business and are very involved in contemporary art. Of course, we have less money in the bank. Our family foundation doesn’t have a large structure for managing funds. The foundation’s founders (my brother Albert, my father and me) manage the foundation’s assets. We are currently thinking about creating a unit devoted to financial management.

Is the crisis the opportunity for change, to review your strategy?
No, our strategy remains unchanged. The only thing is that if we have less money, we will do less as we wait for things to get back to normal again.